


Ghosts

by fewmoredays



Category: Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-06-09 07:01:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6894754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fewmoredays/pseuds/fewmoredays
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brendon doesn't know what he wants to do in life, but who does? Right now he just wants to make it through college and hope that things will work out in the end. However, this may get a little more difficult when he realizes there's more to that abandoned building downtown than meets the eye...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Brendon glared at the clock as it moved its tiny little hands ever so slowly. Of course, he knew all about the sayings and how time would move slower the more he wanted it to speed up, but that didn't stop him from staring. His professor droned on and on about whatever, and though he knew he should be paying attention, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. After all, it wasn't like he needed to know all this fancy math to be what he was going to be, which was a-. Well, he didn't know what he wanted to do in life, but he knew that he sure as hell wasn't going to need all this.

Finally, oh dear god finally, the clock hit one thirty and the teacher dismissed class. Brendon grabbed his things and rushed out the door, making his way through students and teachers alike. He didn't really have anywhere to be, but he felt like that classroom was sucking the life out of him and he needed to get as far away from it as possible. A hand grabbed his shoulder and he stopped.

"Hey baby," a female voice greeted him. Brendon turned around and smiled.

"Hey Sarah," he said, wrapping his arms around her.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"I've got places to go, babe. So many things to do before I die." Sarah smacked him lightly.

"You're talking like a seventy year old man. If you don't have anywhere to go, walk me to my next class."

She wriggled out of his arms and grabbed his hand, swinging his arm as she walked. Brendon couldn't help but gaze at her lovingly as they moved along. She was just so full of purpose and positivity. She was definitely going places in the world. He just couldn't believe that a girl like her would want anything to do with a guy like him, let alone date one. They stopped at one of the doors and Sarah pecked his cheek.

"See you tonight?" Brendon asked, letting go of her hand. Sarah shook her head.

"Sorry Brendon, but I have to study for finals coming up. You really should to."

"I will," he said half-heartedly. She rolled her eyes.

"I'll see you later dork." She disappeared into the classroom.

 

Later that night, Brendon sat on his bed, blatantly not studying. Instead he just stared out his window. He loved the way that the city looked at night, with all the different lights shining and the moon hanging high up in the sky. Snow was falling, making the night even more magical. He'd always wanted to express how much he loved the night, but he'd never found anyone who quite understood. Sure, Pete loved the night, but not the same way he did. Pete loved the nightlife, the drinking and partying and fucking his girlfriend. Sure, Brendon loved that too, well, except the part about fucking Pete's girlfriend, but it was just different. There was something so indescribable about the way it made him feel, the quietness of it all, and it just felt right.

His phone vibrated, snapping him out of his trance. He sighed and looked at the screen. Speak of the devil. He contemplated whether or not he should answer it. After a few rings he grabbed the phone and answered it. Music blasted in his ear.

"Hey Brendon." Brendon grimaced at how loud Pete's voice was. The clock in the corner read 4:30. Was he drunk already?

"Hi Pete," Brendon said, somewhat resigned. Pete was his best friend and a totally great guy, but as soon as the weekend hit it was all partying for him. "What's up?"

"So, you doing anything tonight?"

"I don't think so..."

"Great! Meet me and Dallon outside my place in ten."

"Wait, what f-?" Pete hung up. Brendon put his head in his hands. That was also very like Pete. To the point and never giving you an option to say no. Should he go? It wasn't like he had had anything planned for the night. Besides, Pete may love to party but he would never do anything that would endanger anyone he cared about. Not intentionally anyway. Brendon slipped on his shoes and headed out the door.

 

The wind blew his hair all over the place and made his cheeks burn. He rubbed his hands together and wished that he had thought to put on gloves. Sarah would have made him. That's why they worked out so perfectly. Sarah was the more serious and responsible one, while Brendon was much more light-hearted and careless one. They both were so different yet managed to compliment each other perfectly. In fact, Dallon and Meagan, Pete's girlfriend, were already making bets as to when they were going to get married. Pete was just betting with himself as to when Sarah was going to get pregnant. Of course, Sarah would never agree to something like that. If she was going to make it as a business woman she couldn't have a baby in tow. Brendon shook his head and walked up the steps to Pete's dorm. There would be time to think about kids later. Hopefully a lot of time.

Before he could knock on the door Pete had it open and was stepping out. He grinned wildly and spread his arms. Dallon followed behind him and gave a small wave. 

"Brendon you came!" Pete said, stepping forward and hugging Brendon. Brendon couldn't smell any alcohol on his breath. Sober Pete it was. 

"Yeah, I did," Brendon said, awkwardly accepting Pete's hug. "Now could you tell me why I'm even here?"

"We're going on a bit of a field trip," Pete announced grandly, letting go of Brendon. Brendon looked at Dallon for clarification. Dallon sighed and step forward.

"You know that building downtown? The one that's supposedly haunted? Pete wants to go in and see the ghosts."

"Seriously?" Brendon looked at both of them incredulously.

"Please," Dallon begged. "He'll go by himself if we go alone and who knows what he'll get himself into." Brendon looked at Pete's pleading eyes and threw his hands in the air.

"Okay, what the hell? Let's do this." Pete jumped up an darted forward. Brendon called after him. "But we aren't staying more than fifteen minutes!"

 

The house they came up to was quaint, with large windows and a pretty yet slightly overgrown garden in the front. It was very big, three stories at least, and made Brendon feel very small. Dallon picked the lock with ease, something that Brendon noted with a hint of surprise, and the three of them stepped inside. As they walked around the building he really couldn't see what was so haunted about the place. Sure, it looked a little run down, but overall it seemed to be in pretty good condition. Of course, a building didn't necessarily have to be falling apart to be haunted, but this house just looked too... Put together. As if someone was still taking care of it. There wasn't large collections of dust everywhere and the floor looked as if it had been swept recently. He kept these thoughts to himself as he moved along.

He climbed up the stairs, gently tapping his fingers along the banister. So far, so good. Pete's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head while Dallon eyed the place warily. There was still no sign of a ghost anywhere. He moved forward, unaware that the other two had lagged behind. Something caught his eye. It looked like, well, he wasn't quite sure what it was, but it definitely didn't belong in this place. He walked forward to examine it when he heard the sound of something hitting the floor. He whirled around and watched as books flew out of one room and landed near Pete and Dallon. Pete bolted down the stairs, not bothering to see if the others were following. Brendon moved forward, stopping to look in the direction that the books had come from when Dallon tugged on his arm. He followed him out the door.

Later that night as Brendon laid in his bed he thought about that house. The flickering lights, footsteps, and flying books made it all too easy to believe that there was a ghost. As much as he hated to admit it, that place really did seem haunted. He knew that a more cynical, perhaps scientific person would argue that it was due to a faulty electrical system or rats or something logical, but Brendon really did believe that it had been the work of a ghost. Why was it so hard for people to believe in them anyway? He sighed and closed his eyes. It wasn't like it mattered now anyway. He wasn't ever going back to that place. He settled into his pillow and fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The weeks before the end of the semester dragged on. He'd been going to college for a year already and really should've known that it was these weeks that took the longest, but that didn't stop him from counting down to the second until the break. Sarah yelled at him often for it, telling him to focus less on the time passing and more on passing his classes. She was right, as usual, but that didn't mean he wasn't still looking forward to the break. He was pretty much passing his classes anyway. C's were definitely not what Sarah considered to be passing, but hey, average was okay with him. If it meant he didn't have to retake the class then that was all he needed.

It wasn't like he didn't like learning. He really did like all the new information he got when he sat in a class (as long as it wasn't math), but most classes couldn't keep his interest for more than a week. All the teachers ever did was drone on and on, and though it might have been the most interesting thing he had ever seen, all it made him do was want to fall asleep or doodle in his notebook. That's pretty much all his notebook contained anyway. Why bother taking notes when there were flowing dresses and jackets to draw. Call him gay, but drawing and designing clothes was one of the only things he could focus on. Not that he'd show anyone. Ever. He probably wasn't any good, and it wasn't like he was going to do anything with it anyway. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he'd probably end up following his dad's footsteps and become some sort of historian. The idea bored him, but it was one thing he was exceptionally good at. He'd heard that in life you could chose something that either made you happy or made you money, and those that are lucky get something that falls in between. Being a historian probably would make him a millionaire, but it would at least give him something to do and pay him, and his parents would be proud. That's all he really wanted.

Of course, he wanted other things too. He wanted a house to sleep in and a dog and someone who would love him unconditionally forever. He loved Sarah to death and he was certain that she loved him, but would she stay forever? Who knew. What he did know was that the semester was ending, he was passing his classes, and he was really excited for Christmas. At that moment that was all he needed.

He had an hour to kill before his next class. There was, of course, the option to go ahead and wait near the building until class started, but that would be weird. He also didn't want to just sit in his dorm and wait. He'd probably end up falling asleep. Brendon sighed and looked out the window. Coffee sounded good. Yeah, he'd go for a quick cup of coffee before class. He wrapped himself up in a thick coat and remembered to put on a pair of gloves. He wish he had a scarf. Not only would that have kept his neck warm but it also would totally go with his outfit. He shook his head at the thought, grabbed his keys, and walked out the door.

The air tousled his hair and nipped at his nose. There was no doubt that this would be a cold winter. Maybe there would even be a few blizzards. Brendon wasn't a huge fan of them, considering you could literally do nothing but stay inside and hope for the best during one, but at the same time sometimes doing nothing was relaxing. The wind picked up and he held his coat closer to his body. Yep. Definitely blizzard weather. He hurried into the coffee shop and closed the door behind him quickly so as not to let any of the precious heat out. He walked up to the counter, ordered, and then sat at a table in the corner of the cafe.

There was a newspaper at the table, probably left from the person before him. He normally never read the paper, but he had nothing better to do. Brendon flipped to the comics page and began reading. Surely someone out there thought that these were funny. Personally, he didn't quite see how. After reading through the comics he began skimming through the newspaper. Nothing really stood out to him. All just ads and random stories people told. He was about to close the paper when something caught his eye. 

It was about a missing boy. Well, not boy. From what the article said he was about Brendon's age. Ryan Ross, the son of the famous politician, had apparently disappeared two years ago. The article said that the father was still looking, but there was doubt as to whether he had survived considering he was "ill in the head." What a ridiculous term. And funny, the dad didn't look quite so upset in this picture. Brendon's eyes flitted to the picture of Ryan. He looked so... Innocent. Brendon couldn't help but get the feeling that he wanted to protect him. Fat lot that would do if he was dead, but still. He gently dragged his fingers across the photo, staring into his eyes. They looked bored, almost sad. He leaned in closer and heard a voice. 

"Brendon?" It was the barista. Snapping out of his trance, he got up, shook his head, and grabbed his coffee. Outside, the wind was dying down. He took a deep breath and left the cafe, the image of Ryan's face still swirling in his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Finally, school was over. Well, not over over, but on break. As usual, the clock dragged its arms through molasses, probably just to spite him. At last, he heard his professor dismiss everyone. Brendon had never been so happy to hear her voice. He took off, ready to start his break. Goodbye school, hello sleeping in until noon. He smacked into several people, but he didn't really care. He just wanted to be out of there.

He moved along and hoped that he would hear Sarah's voice calling to him. He knew that that wouldn't happen though. She was in the middle of class right now, and there would be no reason for her to leave just so she could talk to him for a few moments. What should he do for the next few hours before she finished class? Pine pathetically outside of her classroom and door and wait for her to leave? As fun as that sounded, he wasn't that desperate or creepy. He sighed and walked off of campus. He would talk to her later once she finished her fifty billion classes.

Heading back to his dorm, he looked all around him. The leaves had pretty much left the trees and littered the ground. The wind picked up a few and blew them past his face. He paused for a moment, watching them dance. They reminded him of little ballerinas. Absentmindedly, he followed the leaves as they moved away from him. Who knew how long he followed them, but next thing he knew he was in the middle of downtown. Slightly confused, he looked around. He really needed to pay attention to where he was going. Those leaves could have led him to the middle of a drug den. Sighing, he tried to get his bearings. He seemed to be near the coffee shop, meaning he had walked about twenty minutes from where he was. How had he not noticed? He had probably been a sight, just a guy with his head down, following some leaves. Brendon turned around, ready to go back to his dorm, when he noticed the abandon house. Funny, it looked like a normal building. It seemed to be calling him, and he felt himself walking towards it. Apparently he had no control over where he was walking today. His hand found the doorknob, and to his surprise it turned easily in his palm. He took a deep breath and stepped inside.

It was cold and musty in the house, which was understandable considering there was no reason no reason to heat up an empty house. The grandeur of the house still took his breath away. He walked up the stairs quietly, not really sure what he was looking for. Now that he was alone, he could wander the house more freely than when he was with Pete and Dallon. He took in more, taking in as many details as he possibly could. The carpet beneath him was a deep red. The curtains were a cream color, and only a little tattered. The walls were covered in a white floral pattern. There were so many things to look at, so many things to describe, and yet he couldn't seem to find the words to say any of it. The house just filled him with a sense of calmness; it filled every narrow path in his brain with peace and made him feel like everything was okay.

Brendon walked into the room where the books had come flying out of the last time he had come but paused. What if something bad was in there? What if there was a dead body, or there really was a ghost? What if the ghost killed him and the he became a ghost? He shook his head. It didn't smell like there was a rotting body, and if there really was a ghost then they would probably have attacked him by now, right? He was being ridiculous. He boldly stepped into the room and examined his surroundings. It was a study it seemed, with bookshelves covering the walls and a large desk tucked into the corner. Dying sunlight poured into the room and gave it a soft glow. Making his way over to the desk, he tripped on something. Catching himself rather clumsily, he looked down to see what had tripped him. A dark red scarf lay there, tangled around his shoes, as if it had a life of its own and had purposefully tried to trip him. He picked it up, rolling it between his fingers and marveling at how soft the fabric was. He brought it up to his nose, inhaling the scent, when footsteps caught him by surprise. He hadn't heard the front door open. Banging followed, along with a loud groaning sound. 

He froze, waiting to see what would happen next. The footsteps were getting louder. Was it just him, or was the room getting darker? Whatever was happening, he just knew he had to get the hell out of there.. Brendon panicked and ran as fast he could, out of the room, down the stairs, and out of that godforsaken house. He ran all the way back to his dorm, not even caring if he looked like an idiot. It wasn't until he had locked and dead bolted his door before he realized that he was still holding the soft red scarf firmly in his left hand. Shit. Hopefully no one would miss it.

He flopped down onto his bed and held the scarf up to his nose, inhaling the faint scent it gave off. Cinnamon. Funnt, he'd figured it would smell like mothballs or mold. This smell seemed fresh and rather inviting. His eyes drooped closed as he wondered about the red scarf and the mysteries it contained.


	4. Chapter 4

Brendon opened his eyes blearily and looked around. The early morning sun poured in through the window and gave the room a sleepy glow. Well, maybe the sleepy part was because he'd just woken up, but the room was definitely glowing. He looked over at Sarah laying next to him, her hair splaying around her head like a princess. Inspired by the way she looked, he rolled over and pecked her lips, prompting her eyes to snap open. She took her pillow and smacked him over the head with it. Brendon chuckled and fended off her attack.

"Babe, it's me!" Brendon protested, protecting his face. After a moment, it registered in Sarah's brain and she stopped. "I just thought I'd wake the sleeping princess."

"Oh, how sweet," Sarah said sarcastically. "The prince wakes up the princess with a kiss and she proceeds to beat him with a pillow."

"Hey, we make our own stories." Brendon leaned over and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Sounds so romantic. They spend their first few weeks together in an ER room." Brendon chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"What are our plans for the day?"

"You forgot?" Sarah asked in surprise, pulling away from him. Brendon looked at her in confusion, panic setting in. He hadn't forgotten their anniversary, had he? It wasn't her birthday, nor anyone else that he knew. He shook his head.

"Not a clue."

"We're going to see your parents for the holidays, remember? With Christmas being a week away and all."

"Oh, that," Brendon said, sighing a little. He loved his parents to death, but they could be a little much. They had been so disappointed when he had decided to break away from the church and go to this college, but they were getting over it. That didn't stop them from talking to him about it whenever they got the chance though. And his parents absolutely adored Sarah. She was definitely good wife material, in their opinion. Sarah's parents were rich business CEOs and were gone most of the time, and Brendon's parents had no problem with her coming to stay with them, given that her and Brendon stayed in separate rooms. Brendon stretched and got out of bed. It was a good thing he packed already. Sarah followed suit and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Hey, I know you haven't always gotten along with them, but they're your parents and they love you," Sarah said softly. Brendon nodded.

"Yeah... I know that. I just, I just want to be good enough for them."

"Don't worry baby, you are. No matter what you do they'll be proud of you." Sure, it was easy for her to say that. She'd only seen the nice side of his parents. She hadn't been there for the yelling and fighting that had seemed to take place every waking moment when he still lived with them. And yeah, so what if they were getting better? Brendon knew that in their eyes he would always be a disappointment. He put on a fake smile and squeezed Sarah's hand.

"Yeah, you're right." He moved out of her grasp and smirked. "Last one to get ready has to chaperone Pete on New Year's Eve!" Sarah pushed him out of the way and darted into the bathroom. Brendon chuckled. His parents might not be the most supportive, but at least he had a girlfriend who would be there for him.

The flight to Nevada was a relatively uneventful one. Sarah won their little bet, so Brendon would have to look after Pete on New Year's Eve and prevent him from drinking himself to death. Definitely something that was easier said than done. Brendon gazed out the window blissfully, looking down at the scene under him. The ground changed from a snowy white to a warm green back to a snowy white. What would it be like to fly? To actually fly, to have wings spread from your back and carry you to wherever suited you at the moment. Brendon supposed he would never know. Sarah had her eyes closed, though he knew she was far from sleeping. She was thinking. Well, she was always thinking, but this face meant she was REALLY thinking. He brushed his lips lightly on her cheek and her eyes snapped open. There was something in her eyes that looked a little unsettling.

"What's wrong babe?" he asked, stroking her cheek. She sighed and nuzzled his hand.

"It's just, well, life," she said, not looking him in the eye. Brendon frowned.

"Life? What do you mean?"

"I mean life. Sure, we're going to college now, and then jobs, but then what? Marriage? Kids? House? And the-." Brendon held up his hand to cut off the chatter coming out of her mouth. Sarah wasn't a babbler. This must be seriously stressing her out.

"Sarah, it's life. We have a lifetime to figure that all out. What made you think of all this?"

"Your parents..." Of course it had been.

"Let me guess. They gave you the whole oh-so-subtle when are you two getting married talk?"

"Well, not quite. Just your mom mentioning she'd like to get grand kids soon..."

"Soon?! Sarah, I love you more than anything in this world but you do realize that we're both twenty right? Like I said, we have years to figure that out. Let's focus on what's important right now."

"And what is important right now, hm?" Brendon smirked and nodded at the flight attendant coming down the aisle.

"Whether or not you'd look good in one of those outfits." Sarah smacked him.

"Can't you be serious for one moment?" she asked.

"Fine. Babe, when we get there we get there. No offense, but what if we don't stay together? What if I decide I can't put up with you?"

"Oh, trust me, I'd leave you first." Sarah smirked as Brendon put his hand to his chest in mock offense.

"Now look who isn't being serious. But honestly babe, just leave it. There's no use worrying about the future when we've got something good right here?"

"Oh alright, I guess you have a point." Sarah closed her eyes and leaned back into her seat. Brendon went back to looking out the window. Fluffy white clouds drifted by. A few minutes passed before he felt Sarah's breath on his ear. "By the way, I'd totally rock that flight attendant uniform."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes guys, this is what, three weeks late? I am so so sorry for the delay, and I'm so sorry that this is such a short chapter. I've just hit a pretty rough patch and have had some things to deal with. Thanks for waiting and I promise that I haven't given up on this story. Hopefully I'll be able to update pretty regularly again though. Thanks again for sticking around!


	5. Chapter 5

Brendon's parents were happy (as always) to see Sarah. In fact, if someone were watching they would have thought that Sarah was their child, not Brendon. They surrounded her and cooed all around her while they hardly spared Brendon a glance. It was a good set up though. Sarah loved the attention that his parents gave her, and Brendon really couldn't care less. Of course he loved his family, he just didn't see a need to show them copious amounts of affection.

After several minutes had passed his mom finally turned to him.

"How is college going?" she asked, looking him over. "Are you eating enough? Studying enough? Are you almost done?" 

"Slow down the questions Mom," he replied with a laugh. "College is going well, yes, I'm eating enough, studying is for losers, and no, I've got a few more years left."

"Tsk tsk, maybe if you studied more you'd get better grades. Have you proposed to Sarah yet?"

"Mom!" he looked at the ground and blushed. He did not need this right now. 

"What? It was an innocent question. She's a great girl and I want grandchildren."

"I want to finish school first," Sarah cut in. Brendon sighed in relief. She always knew what to say. "Then maybe I'll consider letting him marry me."

"See what I mean Brendon?" his mom asked with a beam. "She's a fine woman. Come on Sarah dear, let's get to the car."

Brendon gave Sarah a grateful smile as she climbed into the car. She winked and he was once again amazed at how amazing she was. His mother wasn't lying when she said Sarah was a fine woman. He had to come up with a way to thank her later. 

The car ride was relatively quiet. Brendon stared out the window as Sarah made conversation with his parents. He let his mind wander, out of the car, past the varying yellows of the desert and the swirling sky of blues. He found himself thinking about the abandoned house. Sarah was the one that was fond of mysteries, but for some reason he couldn't stop wondering about the past of that place. For instance, it was reasonably dusty in some places, but in others, such as the sunroom, it was spotless. What, or who, had made those sounds that he had sworn were footsteps? Who did the scarf belong to? Had someone actually died in that house? So many questions with answers that he most likely would never find.

They arrived at his house much quicker than he had expected, though this could have been because he'd been lost in thought. His siblings came out of his house, swarming him. He greeted all of them warmly with hugs and smiles. They moved on to Sarah, moving as a unit and making sure she was fully welcomed. They walked into the house and sat down, the room filled with chatter. This was exactly how the room had been when he was a child. Everyone talking at once, with a general feeling of love spreading through everyone. Of course there had been fights in this room, but those were few and far between. Brendon basked in the nostalgia of it all.

Christmas came and went without so much as a hitch. Christmas wasn't necessarily his favorite holiday in the first place, coming in third in relation to Halloween and Easter. He loved Halloween for the costumes. Some people went all out for it, and they looked so good. As for Easter, well, who doesn't love a good scavenger hunt? Sure, he liked presents and spending time with family, but it felt so forced. Everyone together, loving each other and having a good time. Yet under the surface, tension would build. Arguments were always threatening to break through the surface. His family loved each other dearly, but they didn't work well when together for a long time.

And suddenly, it was time to go back. There were tears in both his mom's and dad's eyes, as well as plenty of reminders to call when they landed and to come back as soon as they could. It was sad to leave his family, but Brendon couldn't stop the feeling of relief spreading through his chest. There was so much pressure on him to be a good son, who would make his family proud by becoming a big business man and marry a beautiful wife and blah blah blah. It sounded nice on paper, but it just wasn't who he was. The sooner he could leave the sooner he could be free from the expectations put on him. He said his goodbyes, wrapped his arm around Sarah, and walked toward the terminal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo, it's been forEVER since I've done anything with this poor story. I'm not going to promise regular updates because we've seen how that went, but I do promise that I haven't given up on finishing this. We're in it for the long haul my friends. Thanks for sticking around!


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